After finishing the veneer it was time to work on the solid mesquite full front baffle. Mesquite moves very little with changes in moisture so it is one of the few woods that can be used as a solid front baffle. I started with a pair of bookmatched planks that started out 6-1/2' long x 15" wide x 2" thick. A large crack in one board made it a perfect choice for the front baffle. The hollow knot in the center of each board was the logical location for the RAAL tweeter and the starting point for the layout. The finished front baffle is 1-3/4" thick.
Notice the homemade No Rez in the above photo, this would probably be referred to as gilding the lily. I used 2 layers of self stick vinyl floor tile from Home Depot, 1" open cell foam, and 2 cans of 3M Hi-Strength 90 spray adhesive. My first test with the floor tile was hit and miss, some stuck and some pieces fell off the next day, the 3M adhesive worked like a champ and gets stronger with age, it works on the 1" foam too.
Mesquite looks best with a hand rubbed oil/varnish finish, the catalyzed varnish finish I use on mesquite tables looks flat compared to the richness of a oil finish. The problem with an oil finish is that it takes forever to finally reach a stopping point. I was able to save a little money by doing the finish sanding and finishing myself. I am probably Jim's only customer that took a pair of HT2-TL's completely apart just an hour after receiving them.
And finally here is the photo you have all been waiting for:
Wayne